Fire-escape door-latching device



Nov. 14, 1933. B, WEBSTER FIRE ESCAPE DOOR LATCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 2, 1931 INVENTOR 3 NW 3 *N m Q MN NW 3? QNN E VflW/ I v M3 w i E, NN N\ .w .w %V/ 27/ 47 w w w Patented Nov. 14, 1933 t 1,935,001 V Irma-ESCAP .DOOR-LATQHING DEVICE V Lawrence B. Webster,0maha, Nebr., assignor to 1 Lloyd M. Rathbun, Omaha, Nebr.

-;Applic ation October 2,

1931. seria No. 566,433

'- ll Claims. (01. 292-92)" The invention relates to fire-escape doorlatching devices, and has for its object to providea catch and latch particularly adapted to the spiral or direct-slopefform of fire-escapes 5 frequently connected with school buildings and the like where large numbers of individuals,

especially children, are gathered and a speedy.

exit'in case of fire is imperative.

A furtherfobject is to provide such a. device which-will at all "times be dependable, and remain free from all forms of accidental contingency which might prevent an-orderly and hasty exit from the room of a burningbuilding where a large number of individuals; "are gathered together or crowded; such,'for instance, asmight happen from a possible clogging of exposed portions of the operating mechanism of the lockwhere accumulated debris from dusty sweepings and 1 the like I'nightbecom'e lodged, whereby the crowding obstructionsabout ata'rdy pening might, as frequently" happens, create a panic occasioningtragic results.- I Aifurtherobject is to provide a doorcatching devicewhereby its assembled mechanism isat-' tached to the opposite'i-jamb-casings of the entrance towhic'hthedoors -thereof are' hinged, and so constructed that it can be operated by downward pressure of a'transverse operating bar extendingacross the upper'portion of the doorway, terminating 'at'opposit'e ends in inwardly extending levers attached thereto and fulcrumed over pivots protruding from the sides of said 'jarnb-casings; the opposite ends of "which'levers i'carry a lock-bar maintaining'the doorsl'in a closed position. v 'f With'these and other objects-:inview'the invention resides 'in' combination and arrange-'- merit of parts as herein set forth, 'shown-in the drawing, described and claimed.

"' t e dr n showingdOor-orirating mechanism atone end of the doorway, the locking-bar and a partfoi the door frameinsection.

Fig. 2 is ,a broken plan viewin section, illusitra'ting door-operating mechanism at both sides of a doorwy, said mechanism being illustrated by a section on line 2+2 of Fig.1.

' Fig. Bis a sectional detail; showing one of'the toggle-members used for controlling movements of ajrocklever.

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveyiew of one of thetogglemembers. g Fig. 5 is aperspective viewof one of thedoor s,

the groove-member 'on. I its up??? end-and j a "lock-bar disposed in the groove.

Fig.1" is a broken-away view.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lock-bar.

Referring now to the drawing, numerals 1 inv dicate portions of the walls of a building to which a fire-escape of any slideway form may be attached, between said wall-portions 1 being so shown an opening or doorway, said doorway being provided with the usual face casings 2 and jamb-casings 3. v

' The opening leads directly into the fire-escape and is normally closed by a pair of doors '4 5,

which are provided with spring-hinges 5 securing them to the outer edgesof the jamb- .casings 3.

The doors are shown in a closed position by action of the spring-hinges 5 and may be maintained in closed position by means of a lock-bar 6,the horizontal portionof said bar being engaged within grooves 7 which are formed in the inner portions of'the metallic members 8 which overreach the upper ends of said doors and are secured'theretoby means of wood-screws 9. It is obvious that said lock-bar 6 when raised out of the grooves '7 will release the doors 4 and permit the spring hinges to force them open.

The lock-bar 6 is provided at'its endswith de- 30 pendingportions 6 which are slidingly mounted in vertical'grooves ll'whic'h are formed in the metallic plates 12 which are secured to the jambc'aSingsS of the doorway and disposed flush with. said casings.

Thelower ends of the depending portions 6 are provided with inwardly projecting studs 10 adapted 't'ooperatively engage the forked ends of the pair of rock-levers 13-which are fulcrumed upon'shoulder-screws 14 which pivotally sustain 0 them at the sides of the'plates 12, the outer ends of said rock-levers being mounted on an operating-bar l5;

"' In order that the rock-levers 13 may be sustained in a stationary position after moving the 5 operating-barin either'position, spring togglemembers are provided, each consisting of an endtapered'bolt 16 slidingly mounted in a sleeve 17 having a-helical spring 18 therein which tends to forcethe bolt naturally against the side of a rock-lever 13, the tapered'end of said bolt engaging in an'inde'ntation 19 which is formed in the side of .a rock-lever, an upward or downward 'movement of the operating-bar 15 and rocklevers 13 causing'rocking movements of the tog-- gle-members, the latter rocking about a pair of opposed extensions 20 which engage pivotal centers upon opposite sides of openings 21 formed through plates 12 and attached plates 22.

It is obvious that'thepressure of said bolts tions intermediate the extreme range of their movements, and therefore the toggle-members in their upper or lower positions will resist movements of the rock-levers toward intermediate positions.

'From the above it will be seen that a doorlatching device'is provided which differs'from other appliances of this character in the elimination of inconvenient obstructions which a latching mechanism naturally entails whenever any portion thereof is attached tothe door. In this, however, a structure is provided whereby individuals may effect a hasty escape byigrasping the operating-bar (which, crosses the doorway at about normal attitude of their hands) while the applied downward pressure will unfasten the doors, thus permitting the enclosed. occupants to swing under the operating-bar, feet foremost, into the descending slideway where, after releasing their grasp, they-will slide down to the exit.

' The invention having been fully described what I claim as new and useful is:-

1.,In a fire-escape door-latching device for a pair-. 01 doors mounted to swing from a doorway, a pair of rock-levers mounted in the sides of the doorway, a lock-bar having end-portions slidably engaging the rock-leversat the cuter ends thereof and adapted to engage the doors for maintaining them in closed. position, I and an operating-bar mounted on the inner ends of the rock-levers adapted to be moved for coincident actuation otsaid levers to cause disengagement of the lock-bar from said doors.

2.-In a fire-escape door-latching device-fora door mounted to swing from a side of a doorway, a pair of rock-levers mounted in thesides ofthe doorway, a lock-bar having end-portions mounted on the outer ends of the rock-leversandadapt ed to engage the door for maintaining it in closed position, and an operating-bar disposed approxi- =matelyparallel with the lock-bar and mounted on-the inner ends of the-rocklevers, said'operating-barxbeing movable for moving the rock- -'levers to cause disengagement of the lock-bar from said door.

3. In a fire-escape door-latching device fora pair of spring-controlled doors mounted to swing from a doorway, metallic plates provided with grooves .and mounted on the sides of the doorway, a pair of rock-levers mounted on said metallic plates, alock-bar adapted; to engage said doors for maintaining them in closedposition and having end-portions engaging in the. grooves of said plates and-having projections slidably mounted in the outer'ends of the rock-levers, an operatingbar mounted on the inner ends of the rock-levers and adapted to be moved for causing disengagement of the-lock-bar'frorn the doors, said lock- .barwhaving sliding movements of its ,end-portions in the grooves of said metallic plates.

4.In 'a fire-escape door-latching device for a spring-controlled door mounted to swing from a doorway-metallic plates mounted on the sides .of the doorway and provided with vertical grooves, a pair of rock levers mounted on said metallicjplates, a lockebar adapted to engage said door, for maintaining itin closed-position and having end-portions engaging in the grooves of said plates and having projections. extending inwardly from said end-portionsinengagement with said levers, an operating-bar-mounted on the-inner ends of the rock-levers adapted to beimoved for ",coincidently"moving-the rocklevers to cause disengagement of the lock-bar from said door, said lock-bar having sliding movements of its end-portions in the grooves of said metallic plates.

5. In a fire-escape door-latching device for a pair of spring-controlled doors mounted to swing from a passageway, rock-levers provided with recesses and mounted in the sides of the passageway, alock-bar. adapted to engage the doors for maintaining them in closed positions and having end-portions mounted on the outer ends .of the rock-levers, an operating-bar mounted on the inner ends of the rock-levers and adapted tobe move'dfor-moving the rock-levers to cause disengagement of the lock-bar from said doors,

and spring-controlled toggle-members mounted in the sides of the passageway and engaging in the recesses of -the'rock-levers for maintaining saidwlevers in stationary positions after they have been moved by said operating-bar.

--6. In flafilB-BSCLPE door-{latching:device:for a pair of doors arranged to swing from a passage- "way, a -.pair of 'metallio platesv mounted inrthe sides of the passageway and-providedwith verticalslots, each door being provided with-a horizontalretaining-groove opening on its top,;a pair of rock-levers provided with recesses andjmounted in the metallic-plates, a lock-bar in saidretaming-grooves for -maintaining -,the fdoors in closed position and having end-portions disposed in the vertical slots of said @plates 1 and. having projections engaging said rock-levers, apair-of toggle-members'each mounted in-a sideoflthe passageway and engagingina recess of a rocklever, and an operating-bar disposed approximately parallel with the lock-bar and adapted to be-moved foractuating saidv rock-levers to cause a release ofsaid-lock-bar from the retaining grooves of said doors.

'7 In attire-escape door-latching device for a pair cit-doors mounted to permit swinging movements from the walls of a doorway, a lock-bar hQIlZOIltQHY ZfdiSpOSed" across the upper gportions .of. the doors-toretain them in closed position, rock-levers fulcrumed' on side walls of the doorway movable for-raising said bar to release i-said doors, an operating-bar connecting the inner ends and adapted to ;be moved for moving said levers, .anditoggle-members in the sides. of? said doorway in engagementwith-saidlevers to yieldupper ends of the doors and provided *with grooves,- a. horizontal lock-bar adapted to engage said-grooves =-for retaining the. doors in. closed positionand having depending end portions, with projections, metallic plates securedv to' the. sides of the doorway and provided with-slots receiving the depending end-portions of a said lock-bar, rock-levers fulcrumed' on said :metallic plates and engaging the projections of said depending endportions, an operating-bar disposed at: right -an- ,gles to the rock-levers (and secured tothe inner :ends of. said -levers,-and a pair of toggle-members each having apart; traversing-a metal plateiand engaging a. rock-leverto. retain the-same inr'eleased-orlocked-position.- Y 7 a 9. In a fire-escape door-latchingdevicefor a .pair of doors having grooves. opening ,on their upper ends and mounted to swing in a doorway having walls provided :with vertical slots al horizontal lock-bar intlregroovesf said- .doors' having depending endaportions slidably idispcsedlin the slots of saidwalls, leversfulcrumed on said walls and connected with the depending endportions of the lock-bar, an operating-bar disposed parallel with the lock-bar-and connected with said levers and adapted to be moved for moving the lock-bar from said grooves, and spring-controlled members 'yieldingly engaging said levers to maintain the operating-bar and lock-bar in stationary positions after they have been moved. I

10. In a fire escape door-latching device for a door hinged to a doorway to normally swing to open position, a lock-bar for engaging the door, a pair of rock-levers fulcrumed on the sides of the doorway and connected at their outer ends with the lock-bar, an operating-bar connected with the, inner ends of the rock-levers and adapted'to have a swinging movement in one direction for coincidently moving the rock-levers v to cause engagement of said lock-bar with the 7 door while the latter is in closed position and to be movedin an opposite direction to cause disengagement of the lock-bar from said doorto permit the latter to move to open position.

11. In a fire-escape door-fastening device for a door hinged to a doorway to permit a swinging movement to closed position and normally to swing to open position, a lock-bar adapted to engage thedoor to maintain it in closed position, a pair of rock-levers fulcrumed on the sides of the doorway and connected at their outer ends with the look-bar, an operating-bar connected with the inner ends of the rock-levers and adapted to be moved for disengaging the lock-bar from the door to permit it to swing to openposition, and a detent-member on the doorway co-operating with said rock-lever tending to maintain the lock-bar disengaged from said door.

LAWRENCE B. WEBSTER. 

